Cardiomyopathy, Dilated ; surgery ; therapy ; Humans ; Stem Cell Transplantation

Objective To study the effects of proprioception training on the motor function and ability in the activities of daily living (ADL) of hemiplegic stroke patients. Methods Forty hemiplegic stroke patients were divided into study group and a control group ( n =20 in each).The two groups received conventional rehabilitation treatment and pharmacotherapy,but the study group received additional proprioception training.The Technobody proprioceptive system assessment,the Fugl-Meyer lower limb assessment (FMA),the Berg balance scale (BBS) and the modified Barthel index (MBI) were used to evaluate their proprioceptive ability,lower limb motor function,balance and ADL ability,before and after 4 weeks of treatment. Results After 4 weeks,proprioception,lower limb motor function,balance and ADL ability had all improved significantly in the experimental group.Lower limb motor function,balance and ADL ability had also improved significantly in the control group,but they showed no significant change in their average proprioceptive ability.The improvement in the experimental group was superior to that of the control group in terms of proprioceptive ability,balance and ADL ability. Conclusions Proprioception training can improve the motor function (including the proprioception and balance) and ADL ability of hemiplegic stroke patients.

Gout ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Humans ; Radiography ; Tartrates ; analysis ; Young Adult

Objectives To explore the effect of mibefradil, a kind of novel calcium channel antagonists, on proliferation of human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (HPASMCs) induced by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). MethodsHPASMCs were culturedin vitro, and randomly divided into control group, PDGF group, Mib group, and PDGF+Mib group. The PDGF group was stimulated by 25 ng/ml of PDGF. Mib group was intervented by 10 μmol/L of Mib. PDGF+Mib group was treated by PDGF and Mib. The reproduction rate in 48 hours and 72 hours were detected by MMT. Cell cycle was detected by lfow cytometry. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was observed by immunolfuorescence staining (IFS).ResultsThere were statistical differences among four groups in both 48 hours and 72 hours (P all??0.05). There were statistically differences of G0/G1 phase and S phase among four groups (P?

Objectives To explore the clinical features and pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease (KD) combined with sterile pyuria. Methods A total of 420 patients diagnosed of KD were recruited and divided into pyuria group ( 95 patients) and control group ( 325 patients) according to urine routine examination on admission. The clinical data between the two groups were compared. Results There was no difference in gender, age, and the incidence of atypical KD (P all?>?0 . 05 ). The levels of C-reactive protein, D-dimer concentrations, fibrinogen degradation products, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and urine retinol binding protein were higher in pyuria group than those in control group (all P>?0 . 05 ). No difference was found in the duration of fever before admission between two groups (P>?0 . 05 ). However, pyuria group had longer duration of fever after treatment with immunoglobulin (P?0.05). Conclusion The morbidity of sterile pyuria in KD patients was 22 . 6%. KD patients with sterile pyuria have more intense inlfammatory response, markedly high coagulation condition, and mild or subclinical renal damage.

Objective To improve the knowledge of paediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension(PAH) and to elevate the level of early diagnosis and treatment.Methods The clinical data of 45 PAH patients admitted in Shanghai Children's Hospital from Jan.2006 to Dec.2012 were reviewed,including clinical manifestation,laboratory examination,diagnosis,treatment and prognosis.Results Of the 45 PAH patients,21 cases (46.7％) were male and 24 cases (53.3 ％) were female,with an average age of 2.5 years old.Among them idiopathic PAH was in 24 cases (53.3 ％) and secondary PAH was in 21 cases [including interstitial lung disease in 4 cases,upper airway obstruction in 3 cases,systemic lupus erythematosus in 3 cases,hepatic disease in 3 cases,including hepatic hemangioma 1 case,liver cirrhosis portal hypertension 1 case and autoimmune hepatic sarcoidosis 1 case,tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy in 2 cases,extensive pulmonary small artery stenosis in 2 cases,human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in 1 case,hypothyroidism in 1 case,and familial PAH in 2 cases].Main clinical manifestations were anhelation after exercise (71.1％),fatigue (68.9％),cough (48.9％),chest tightness (26.7％),chest pain (33.3％),syncope (8.9％),et al.The most common physical signs were splitting of the second sound in pulmonary valve area (93.3％),followed by tricuspid murmur (77.8％),cyanosis (53.3％),hepatomegaly (42.2％),hydropericardium (28.9％),and oedema (11.1％),et al.Twenty-seven cases did cardiac catheterization,compared with idiopathic PAH and secondary PAH,pulmonary artery systolic pressure,mean pulmonary artery pressure,pulmonary capillary wedge pressure,pulmonary arteriolar resistance index had significant difference(P ＜ 0.05).Thirty-one cases' condition improved after treatment,11 cases without any improvement and 3 cases died during follow-up visit.Conclusions PAH is a rare disease with no specific symptom and can be easily misdiagnosed in children.Ultrasonic cardiogram and cardiac catheterization are helpful in diagnosis.Actively looking for the cause can improve the prognosis.

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics and treatment of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) in children. Methods The clinical data of 67 children with PSVT were analyzed retrospectively, and the therapeutic effects of different treatments were compared. Results The clinical manifestations of infants were paleness, shortness of breath, irritability and sweating, and children showed chest tightness, palpitations, abdominal discomfort and fatigue. The curative effect of electric cardioversion, transesophageal atrial pacing, physical therapy, and drug therapy was statistically different (P<0.05), The different cardioversion rates of them were observed for the treatment of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. The cardioversion rate of transesophageal atrial pacing, was the highest, and the rate of physical therapy was the lowest. There was no significant difference in the cardioversion rate between propafenone, digoxin and amiodarone. Conclusion The clinical manifestations of PSVT in infants are atypical and easily to be ignored. There are many methods for treatment of PSVT. The vagus nerve can be stimulated first, and, if no response, either drugs or electric cardioversion and transesophageal atrial pacing can be used. The cardioversion rate of transesophageal atrial pacing is higher. The drug effectiveness for the treatment of PSVT depends on many factors, and our choice of medication varies from person to person.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; pathology ; Humans ; Selenomethionine ; pharmacology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

Objective To investigate the effects of T-type calcium channel inhibitors (ProTx-1,micromolar Ni2+ and Mibefradil) on Monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in rats.Methods Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups:normal control group,MCT group,ProTx-1 group,micromolar Ni2+ group and Mibefradil group (8 cases in each group).The right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP),the right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI),and the index of pulmonary vascular remodeling(MA％) were measured on day 28 after MCT-treatment.Western blot was used to detect the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA) and Cleaved Caspase-3 in pulmonary artery.Results (1)RVSP and RVHI in MCT group were significandy higher than those in the other 4 groups (F =21.55,P ＜ 0.01;F =15.63,P ＜ 0.01).The two indexes in 3 intervention groups were higher than those in normal control group (all P ＜ 0.05),nevertheless,significantly lower than those in MCT group,and 3 intervention groups showed no significant differences (all P ＞ 0.05).(2) MA％ in normal control group [(23.43 ± 1.95) ％] was lower than that in MCT group [(80.42 ± 4.30) ％],ProTx-1 group [(60.35 ± 3.83)％],micromolar Ni2+ group[(62.44 ± 3.81)％] and Mibefradil group[(58.66 ± 4.23)％] (F =216.2,P ＜ 0.01);3 intervention groups showed no significant differences (all P ＞ 0.05),however,they were all significantly lower than that in MCT group.(3) The expression of PCNA in MCT group was higher than that in normal control group,meanwhile,3 intervention groups were significantly lower than that in MCT group.The expression of Cleaved Caspase-3 in MCT group was higher than that in normal control group,nevertheless,3 intervention groups showed no significant changes compared with MCT group,respectively.Conclusions T-type calcium channel inhibitors could ameliorate the progression of MCT-PAH in rats,mainly through suppressing the proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells.

It is now thought that atherosclerosis,although due to enhanced lipid deposition,is mainly the result of a series inflammatory process.Total saponins of Aralia elata (Miq)Seem(TASAES)from the Chinese traditional herb Longya Araliachinensis L.,a folk medicine used for treating various diseases, increasing energy and improving the body′s ability to prevent hypoxia in Asian countries has attracted widespread attention. However, the ability of TASAES on inflammation-triggered vascular endothelial cell injury, a key early event in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, and its potential mechanisms of this protection have never been demonstrated. The present study determined the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptoticactivities and protective mechanisms of the total aralosides of Araliaelata(Miq)Seem (TASAES) ameliorate tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) injury. Our results indicate that TASAES pretreatment provided cytoprotective effects by suppressing TNF-α-induced HUVECs apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, caspase-3 activation, and modulation of inflammatory factors (IL-6, MCP-1 and VCAM-1), meanwhile inhibiting NF- κB transcription. Furthermore, the effect was correlated with the activation of the PI3K/Akt signal pathway. Blocking Akt activation with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 effectively reversed the protective effect of TASAES against TNF-α-induced cell apoptosis.Moreover,the PI3K inhibitor partially blocked the effects of TASAES on the increasing of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl protein expression,and inactivation of Bax protein expression. In conclusion, the results showed that TASAES decreased the inflammation and apoptosis of HUVECs caused by TNF-α treatment,and PI3K played a crucial role in enhancing cell sur-vival during this process.